# South Dakota State University: Liberal Arts / General Studies (bachelor's)

Brookings, SD. IPEDS 219356, CIP 24.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/south-dakota-state-university/majors/liberal-arts-general-studies

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $43,563
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $60,081 (U.S. median for this major: $52,601 across 467 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $29,731 (U.S. median $27,000)
- Rank in SD: 1 of 2 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the U.S. median: +$7,480

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.32 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $60,081 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $14,266 | $61,629 | 2.5 years |
| 30-48k | $15,248 | $65,871 | 2.7 years |
| 48-75k | $18,073 | $78,075 | 3.2 years |
| 75-110k | $20,706 | $89,450 | 3.7 years |
| 110k+ | $21,886 | $94,548 | 3.9 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Liberal Arts / General Studies at SD colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State University | $60,081 | $29,731 | $19,841 | 62% |
| University of South Dakota | $50,306 | $30,092 | $19,858 | 60% |

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).